Strange play stops Buff football

A break here and there was the difference for The Dalles against Madras in the Intermountain Conference opener for both teams Friday. The host Eagle Indians won 22-14, building an insurmountable lead with two touchdowns in the third quarter. The second came after a bizarre punt play. The White Buffalos stopped The Dalles, up 13-7 at midfield. A high snap followed on the subsequent punt. The Eagle Indian punter was able to scramble away, getting off a punt which rolled to the Madras 4. "That was a big play," Buff coach Dan Hiatt said. "It looked like we would have the ball in great position to score and take the lead. Instead, we're backed up." The Dalles did convert a short drive for a 19-7 lead. Madras answered the second touchdown, capped by Aaron Marshall finding Sam Scheideman for a 40-yard score. "Aaron was scrambling and found Sam open on the other side of the field," Hiatt said. "It was a good job by Aaron of looking downfield and by Sam to get open." After the touchdown, Madras tried an onside kick and just missed recovering the ball. The Dalles then marched down for a field goal. The loss spoiled a productive effort by Marshall who finished with more than 300 yards of offense. He had 153 rushing yards on 27 carries, much of it on scrambles, and 150 passing yards. "Aaron was able to get away by scrambling. Once he does, he can run," Hiatt said. Marshall's talents were part of his team's opening drive, capped by a 1-yard scoring dive for a 7-all tie. --Gary Lindberg